


here for you

by vcdbtch2



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hospitals, Kissing, M/M, Merthur - Freeform, Minor Character Death, Soft Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27655666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vcdbtch2/pseuds/vcdbtch2
Summary: Merlin's late home from work and Arthur's worried sick. When Merlin comes home in tears, Arthur realises why
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Kudos: 125





	here for you

Merlin sighed out a shaky breath as he watched the very few cars that were out this early in the morning drive past. It was around 2 am in the morning so the city was pretty bare, the only people Merlin could see were a few nurses and doctors smoking outside or coming in and out for their shifts.

Even as he sat outside on the bench outside the emergency room, he still didn't fully understand what happened. Just a few hours ago he got a call saying his mother was brought into the hospital because of a car accident, now he was sitting outside the emergency room trying to wrap his head around the fact his mother was gone. She had flatlined after 2 hours of being brought in. One minute the two were talking and the nurses were discussing her being discharged and the next she had a seizure and flat lined.

He flinched when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket for the thousandth time. He knew it would either be Arthur or Gwaine, the two had been constantly calling for the past two hours but Merlin didn't have the strength to pick up his phone and assure them that everything was fine.

Just as he suspected, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw Gwaine's name pop up. Merlin knew if he didn't pick up his phone eventually they'd end up calling the police, so he took a deep breath before he accepted the call and immediately was met with Gwaine's yelling voice.

"Where the fuck are you? Arthur's been calling me non stop for the past three hours worried sick about you, we were worried you were dead in a ditch somewhere!" 

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut as Gwaine continued to rant on and on about how worried the two had been, he had completely tuned him out so when he finally stopped talking it took a few seconds for him to realise.

"I-im sorry, tell him I'll be home soon" Merlin stammered out.

"Merlin? what happened? are you okay?" Gwaine's voice softened as he heard his friend's voice on the other line.

"Not really, just tell him I'm on my way home"

Once he hung up the phone he wiped the tears off his cheeks, threw his satchel over his shoulder and headed to the bus station. He did consider for a moment just driving home but even in the state he was In, he knew better to drive home when he could barely breathe. Just as he got to the bus stop the bus pulled up and he only just made it through. After paying the driver and giving him a small, sad smile he slumped down in the seat and rested his head on the cool window.

About 5 minutes into the ride rain drops started to slide down the window and Merlin almost laughed at the irony of it raining on what was easily the worst day of his life. He felt tears brim his eyes as his mind flickered back to the image of his mother's battered and bruised body lying completely still in a hospital bed. 

Meanwhile, back at home Arthur ran his hand through his hair as he paced back and forth, dealing his boyfriends phone number for the thousandth time only for it to go straight to voicemail again. He groaned and threw his phone on the couch as he sat on the kitchen stool and put his head in his hands. 

He had never been this worried in his entire life. His boyfriend was supposed to finish work at 6, it was now 2am in the morning and he still wasn't back. He had called his co-worker and she had said he left for work when he was scheduled to which in itself, made his stomach churn. When 7 o'clock rolled around he began to freak out so he decided to call his friend Gwaine incase Merlin had just met up with him and forgot to tell him. When Gwaine said he hadn't heard from him all day, he felt his knees go weak. 

Arthur's heard jumped in his chest when he heard his phone go off on the couch. He shot up out of the stool so fast it fell to the ground. He picked the phone up and answered it without even looking at the caller ID, so when he heard Gwaine's voice his heart immediately dropped.

"Please tell me you heard from him" Arthur sighed, he was trying to hard not to break down in tears but he knew he was fooling nobody.

"I have" 

Arthur sighed a breath of relief and squinted his eyes closed, finally letting those few pent up tears slide down his face.

"Arthur something's up, he sounded really upset on the phone and dodged the question when I asked him what was wrong. He said to tell you he's on his way home"

"u-m, okay thanks for your help, I'm sorry to wake you up so late it's just he's never this late home from work and he always answers his phone, especially when I call him" Arthur sighed.

"it's alright, I'm just glad he's okay. Call me in the morning"

The very second Arthur hung up the phone he heard the familiar sound of Merlin's keys rattling in the lock. As soon as Merlin walked in the door his heart dropped to his stomach. His usually bright blue eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears, his usually pale smooth cheeks were now a rosy colour with dried up tear tracks glistening on them.

"Where were you? i've been worried sick, I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere" Arthur sighed and put his hands on his boyfriends shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. 

As soon as Merlin was in Arthur's warm embrace he broke. He wrapped his arms tighter around his neck as violent sobs wracked his body. Arthur tried his best to calm his boyfriend, despite not knowing what got him this upset in the first place. He wrapped his arms tighter around his waist, whispering soothing words in his ear, though he doubted Merlin could even hear him he was sobbing so hard.

After crying for a few minutes Merlin's knees gave out and he dropped to the floor, pulling Arthur down with him. Arthur gently lifted Merlin onto his lap, putting one hand on the back of his head and the other around his waist.

"Sh, it's okay baby" Arthur whispered while trying his best to keep his own tears in. He wasn't usually an emotional person but seeing his boyfriend this upset really made him sad.

Once the trembling sobs turned into small sniffles Arthur gently pulled away to look into his boyfriend's eyes. Arthur felt his heart twist as their eyes met and he saw the pain in his boyfriends eyes. 

"What happened?" he softly asked as wiped the tears off his cheek with his thumb.

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath to try and pull himself together because he knew as soon as he said it, he would just break down again.

"My mother, s-she died" 

Arthur's heart clenched in his stomach as he pulled his boyfriend back up to his chest. He was quite fond of Hunith, she had took him in as one her own and made him feel loved like his own Mother used to. 

After the two sat on the floor for a while, Merlin sobbing into Arthur's shoulder while Arthur rubs his back and does whatever he could to get him to calm down, Merlin eventually stopped crying. Arthur stayed on the ground, holding his boyfriend tightly until his knees started to ache.

"Come on, i'll get you a glass of water and you can tell me what happened" Arthur nudged his boyfriend off his lap and stood up, walking to the kitchen and pouring a glass of water. He walked back to the living room where Merlin was seated on the couch, staring blankly at the wall behind the TV. It broke Arthur's heart to see someone so usually bright and bubbly guy so upset.

"Here" Arthur said softly, sitting beside his boyfriend and handing him the glass. Merlin took it with a small smile, taking small sips until he handed the glass back. Arthur put it on the coffee table and turned to pull Merlin into his arms, knowing it will be easier for him to talk about what happened if he didn't have to make eye contact.

"I got a call after work saying Mum was brought in from a car accident. Apparently a truck sped through a red light and hit her. Surprisingly, she wasn't too badly injured, she just had a mild concussion and a few broken bones." Merlin explained, voice trembling slightly as Arthur rubbed small circles on his back.

"The nurses were talking about discharging her one minute, and the next she had a seizure and just-" He cut himself off with a shudder, curling in on himself. Arthur sighed and wrapped his arms tighter around Merlin's body, whispering soothing words in his ears as he cried.

He didn't have many tears left to cry so within minutes he was pulling back and pushing himself up so he could nuzzle his face in Arthur's neck. Arthur smiled fondly and threaded his hands through Merlin's hair, pressing soft kisses to his hands.

"I'm sorry this happened, but i'll be here for you" Arthur murmured. "We're going to go to sleep now, and when we wake up we can talk more okay?"

Merlin nodded and allowed himself to be pulled towards the bedroom, not bothering to change before slumping onto the bed. Arthur followed behind and crouched near his feet, taking his shoes off and heading to the bathroom. He came back a few moments later, in his pyjamas and smelling like aftershave, knowing how much the smell comforts Merlin. He climbed in beside his boyfriend, pulling the blankets over them and shuffling closer.

"I love you, i was so worried about you" Arthur murmured, pressing a kiss to Merlin's forehead.

"I'm sorry, i was just so shaken up i could barely breathe let alone call you." Merlin said as his eyes started to droop shut. Arthur just smiled fondly and tucked his head under his chin, running his hands up and down Merlin's arms.

"Don't apologise" Arthur said, though he was sure Merlin was already asleep. With a tap to Merlin's arm, his suspicions were confirmed. Arthur smiled and snuggled closer, breathing in the scent of his boyfriend as his own eyes started to droop and he slipped into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
